AM Whitepaper

Article by American Global, published on the IRMI website

While the latter half of 2022 brought some relief from the worst impacts of the global pandemic, supply chain disruptions, labor challenges, and significant commodity price spikes, we are now challenged with a national economy that is dealing with the highest inflation in 40 years. This inflationary pressure and increasing labor costs have caused key central banks to take action to tame inflation, creating the swiftest rise in interest rates in decades, which opens up a real potential for a recession in 2023.

For our industry, the next logical question becomes, "What impacts will this have on the construction community, and specifically, how will sureties react when it comes to underwriting new (and even existing) clients?"

Sections covered in article:

[/fusion_text][fusion_button link="https://www.irmi.com/articles/expert-commentary/surety-outlook-and-underwriting-changes-in-work-in-progress" title="" target="_blank" link_attributes="" alignment_medium="" alignment_small="" alignment="center" modal="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" color="default" button_gradient_top_color_hover="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" button_gradient_top_color="" button_gradient_bottom_color_hover="" button_gradient_bottom_color="" gradient_start_position="" gradient_end_position="" gradient_type="" radial_direction="" linear_angle="180" accent_hover_color="" accent_color="" type="" bevel_color="" bevel_color_hover="" border_top="" border_right="" border_bottom="" border_left="" border_radius_top_left="" border_radius_top_right="" border_radius_bottom_right="" border_radius_bottom_left="" border_hover_color="" border_color="" size="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" fusion_font_family_button_font="" fusion_font_variant_button_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" stretch="default" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" hover_transition="none" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_color="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_delay="0" animation_offset=""]Continue Reading[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]" target="_blank">Surety Outlook and Underwriting Changes in Work-in-Progress

Article by American Global, published on the IRMI websiteWhile the latter half of 2022 brought some relief from the worst impacts of the global pandemic, [...]

By |2023-07-25T15:46:14-05:00July 25th, 2023|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC|

A look at 10 best practices contractors should be looking at to modernize and stay relevant in this new age of construction Construction projects grow in magnitude and complexity every year, demanding more time, resources and creativity from contractors. The business of  construction used to rely on traditional building processes and tools—pen and paper, faxes, emails, spreadsheets—but these methods can no longer keep up with modern construction’s increasingly complex projects and demands for real-time data and workflows. It took a while for construction management to come around, but now it’s widely accepted that the old ways of doing things just won’t work anymore. Veterans of the industry realize that a tech-focused approach is the only way to complete their projects on time and meet client expectations. This mentality shift has led contractors to:
  • Digitize documentation to cut needless paper out of the equation
  • Implement cloud technologies to instantly share data and streamline workflows
  • Implement modern reporting and data analytics tools for optimized decision-making
  • Use mobile applications to open access to data and improve workflows in the field
  • Add new technologies that automatically complete essential daily tasks, including payroll, HR, invoicing, data collection, and other processes that previously took multiple steps and people to complete
[/fusion_text][fusion_button link="https://cicpac.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/10-Construction-Best-Practices_USL_0623.pdf" title="" target="_blank" link_attributes="" alignment_medium="" alignment_small="" alignment="" modal="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" color="default" button_gradient_top_color_hover="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" button_gradient_top_color="" button_gradient_bottom_color_hover="" button_gradient_bottom_color="" gradient_start_position="" gradient_end_position="" gradient_type="" radial_direction="" linear_angle="180" accent_hover_color="" accent_color="" type="" bevel_color="" bevel_color_hover="" border_top="" border_right="" border_bottom="" border_left="" border_radius_top_left="" border_radius_top_right="" border_radius_bottom_right="" border_radius_bottom_left="" border_hover_color="" border_color="" size="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" fusion_font_family_button_font="" fusion_font_variant_button_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" stretch="default" margin_top="20px" margin_right="" margin_bottom="20px" margin_left="" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" hover_transition="none" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_color="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_delay="0" animation_offset=""]Continue Reading[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]" target="_blank">10 Construction Best Practices You Should Be Doing Right Now

A look at 10 best practices contractors should be looking at to modernize and stay relevant in this new age of construction Construction projects [...]

By |2023-07-25T15:46:20-05:00June 30th, 2023|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

Tyler Mains, CPA/ABV, Managing Director and Demetri Pazarentzos, Director for their article. Check out bios on Tyler or Demitri via the Lazear Capital Partners website. An Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) is a great solution for owners of construction companies looking to diversify their personal wealth, develop a succession plan, and/or seek an avenue to reward their employees. However, there are many factors to consider when a company who utilizes bonding is exploring or undertaking an ESOP. Because the surety relationship is vital to the operations and long-term success of many contractors, it is important to partner with the surety early in the ESOP process. The surety is focused on supporting a company’s current and future bonding needs, while reducing or mitigating any potential risk. A leveraged ESOP can cause changes to the structure of a company’s balance sheet as a result of the likelihood of additional debt used to assist in financing the ESOP transaction. If the transaction and associated financing is structured correctly, the perfect balance of financial benefits to company owners, significant upside for key management and employees, and a favorable structure for both the surety and the lender can be achieved. The following items should be considered for companies with surety relationships during an ESOP formation:
  1. Advisors – surrounding the company with knowledgeable advisors who are well-versed in both the construction industry and ESOP transactions is key to ensuring a favorable transaction structure that maximizes benefits for the company owners, while maintaining flexibility for the company post-closing.
  2. Bank and Surety – running a parallel track with open communication to understand each stakeholders concerns or needs (i.e., “giving a seat at the table” early in the ESOP transaction process) leads to a structure that provides adequate financing to consummate the transaction, significant flexibility to support future working capital and capital expenditure requirements of the company, and maintains ample balance sheet strength to support ongoing bonding needs.
  3. Current Bonding Program – evaluating the following items of a company’s bonding program is important to aid in the surety’s analysis of bonding needs moving forward, which can have a significant impact on the surety’s comfort level in regards to balance sheet changes and financing proposed in the ESOP transaction: - Individual and aggregate project bonding limits - Accounts receivable and projects currently bonded (remaining work to be completed vs. total contract value) - Makeup of bonded vs. unbonded projects in backlog and pipeline - The timing and phases of bonded projects (planning/design phase vs. true construction underway) - Current and future working capital and equity levels (as adjusted for specific components found in an ESOP structure)
  4. Managing Personal and Corporate Guarantees – with owners of the company transitioning their ownership to the ESOP trust, special consideration to current and future guarantees required should be discussed during the transaction. An understanding of expectations of the bank or surety regarding guarantees and changes to these requirements (and the timing of these potential changes) is key to mitigating personal exposure for owners who may no longer have an ownership stake in the company.
Overall, a surety is focused on the continuity of the business, with particular attention to adequate financial strength and liquidity and management retention post-ESOP transaction. When structured correctly, an ESOP can be a powerful tool to aide in the long-term succession plan for construction companies and make an extremely positive impact on the lives of employees, key management, and company owners. Additionally, an ESOP-owned company can provide productivity improvements, tax benefits, and a clear competitive advantage in the labor market, all of which can be expected to drive financial performance. Our professionals are here to advise you on structuring a favorable ESOP transaction with lenders and your surety, while maximizing benefits for selling company owners.  " target="_blank">Four Considerations for Construction Companies Exploring or Undertaking an ESOP

Thanks to Tyler Mains, CPA/ABV, Managing Director and Demetri Pazarentzos, Director for their article. Check out bios on Tyler or Demitri via the Lazear Capital [...]

By |2023-05-30T14:08:05-05:00May 30th, 2023|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

Maintaining profits and keeping jobs on track is not easy in the construction industry. There are bills to pay, materials to order, teams to manage, and everything else in between. That’s why you need accurate, real-time Work in Progress (WIP) reports to keep projects running smoothly—and to grow your
bottom-line profit.

So, how does it all work? We’ll deep-dive into all there is to know about WIP reporting and how you can set your projects and business up for success.

In this white paper from Deltek ComputerEase, explore:

  • Whta is Work in Progress
  • Overbilling Versus Underbilling
  • What Should a WIP Report Include?
  • How Often Should You Run a WIP Report?
  • Automation of Work in Progress
  • How to Create an Accurate WIP Report
  • What steps do you need to take to achieve accurate WIP Reporting?
  • Common WIP Report Mistakes to Avoid
  • How to Compare and Analyze WIP Report from Different Time Periods
  • How Construction  Accounting Software Can Help
[/fusion_text][fusion_button link="https://cicpac.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Deltek_ComputerEase_How_Work_in_Progress_Can_Work_for_You.pdf" title="" target="_blank" link_attributes="" alignment_medium="" alignment_small="" alignment="center" modal="" hide_on_mobile="small-visibility,medium-visibility,large-visibility" sticky_display="normal,sticky" class="" id="" color="default" button_gradient_top_color="" hue="" saturation="" lightness="" alpha="" button_gradient_bottom_color="" button_gradient_top_color_hover="" button_gradient_bottom_color_hover="" gradient_start_position="" gradient_end_position="" gradient_type="" radial_direction="" linear_angle="180" accent_color="" accent_hover_color="" type="" bevel_color="" bevel_color_hover="" border_top="" border_right="" border_bottom="" border_left="" border_radius_top_left="" border_radius_top_right="" border_radius_bottom_right="" border_radius_bottom_left="" border_color="" border_hover_color="" size="" padding_top="" padding_right="" padding_bottom="" padding_left="" fusion_font_family_button_font="" fusion_font_variant_button_font="" font_size="" line_height="" letter_spacing="" text_transform="" stretch="default" margin_top="" margin_right="" margin_bottom="" margin_left="" icon="" icon_position="left" icon_divider="no" hover_transition="none" animation_type="" animation_direction="left" animation_color="" animation_speed="0.3" animation_delay="0" animation_offset=""]Download White Paper[/fusion_button][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]" target="_blank">How Work in Progress (WIP) Can Work for You

Maintaining profits and keeping jobs on track is not easy in the construction industry. There are bills to pay, materials to order, teams to manage, [...]

By |2023-07-25T15:46:34-05:00March 28th, 2023|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC|

Written by Dave McGuire, Shareholder, McGuire Sponsel The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established certain incentives for building energy efficient buildings. These included the 45L tax credit for the construction of energy efficient single-family homes, and the 179D deduction for the construction of other energy efficient properties. Since 2005, very little has changed with these provisions other than extensions to allow businesses to continue to benefit from these tax provisions. In 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) drastically changed not only the amount of these benefits, but also some of the underlying calculations associated with the incentives. To understand the changes to 179D, let’s first start with the rules prior to the IRA. Prior to the IRA companies building energy efficient buildings were allowed a deduction of up to $1.80/sf (adjusted for inflation). To take this deduction, the building was compared to the ASHRAE 90.1-2007 standard, if the building reduced the energy consumption by 50 percent as compared to the standard a company was allowed a full deduction. Additionally partial deductions of $0.60/sf were allowed for reductions in energy consumption across the building envelope, lighting system, or mechanical systems. Finally in the case of government owned buildings that qualified, the government agency could transfer the deduction to the designer “primarily responsible for the energy efficient design.” This means architects and engineers designing government buildings were also eligible for this deduction. The IRA changed this deduction in three ways. First it changes the calculation. Instead of partial deductions for each building system the deduction is changed to a calculation based on reducing the energy consumption of the building by at least 25 percent. The new law also increases the ability to transfer the deduction. Now in addition to government buildings having the ability to transfer the deduction to the designer, the ability has also been provided to tax-exempt organizations. This means private colleges, churches, and other tax-exempt entities can transfer the deduction to the person responsible for the energy efficient design. Finally, the amount of the deduction is changed from $1.80/sf to a sliding scale from $0.50/sf to $1.00/sf. Many people may understand the change to the amount of the deduction above and be confused as many of the bill’s proponents have touted that it increases the amount of the deduction. That is because the bill introduces a concept where deductions and credits are increased if the company involved pays “prevailing wages”. Under this rule, if a company pays the prevailing wages detailed on the sam.gov website, they can multiply their deduction by 500 percent. This means that if prevailing wage requirements are met the deduction amount goes up to $2.50 to $5.00/sf. However, for many businesses the prevailing wage requirements may be hard to meet as it applies to all contractors working on the property, this would include painters, landscapers, and other unskilled trades. The other real estate related tax incentive included in this bill is an extension and change to the 45L tax credit. The 45L tax credit had expired at the end of 2021, but this law extends the existing tax credit through 2022 and modifies it for years 2023 through 2032. The existing law, in place through the end of 2022, allows for a $2,000 per unit tax credit for the construction of low-rise residential construction. This includes new homes, apartments, and even assisted living facilities if they are three stories or less above grade. To take this credit, the home had to be 50 percent more efficient than the International Energy Conservation Code (IECC). Starting in 2023, the 45L credit changes drastically. First, instead of being tied to the IECC code, the credit is now tied to Energy Star. Second the credit amount is now adjusted as follows:
  • Single Family Homes Meeting Energy Star Single Family Home Standard - $2,500
  • Single Family Homes Certified as Zero Energy Ready - $5,000
  • Multifamily Homes meeting Energy Star Multifamily New Construction - $500*
  • Multifamily Homes meeting Energy Star Zero Energy Ready Multifamily - $1000*

*Multifamily homes receive a 500% increase if prevailing wage requirements are met

The new requirement to tie the credit to energy star raises many questions. First it relates to the three-story requirement. Under the old rules, homes were limited at three stories or less above grade, this was based on the standards under the IECC code. Energy Star does not have the same three-story limitation; however, they do split multifamily into multifamily high rise, midrise, and low rise. The IRS has still not confirmed if the three-story limitation still applies. The bigger issue with energy star is that it cannot be done after the fact based on the current standards. Under the old rules most developers would complete a project, then ask a 45L certification company to confirm the benefit. However, energy star requires that the contractor be working within the energy star requirements from the beginning. This may exclude developers from taking the deduction until they work to become energy star certified. Finally, the limitation of $500 for multifamily when prevailing wages are not met, may limit the applicability to many companies, as the cost to certify and claim the credit may outstrip the benefit. As evidenced above the changes to 179D and 45L are significant and confusing. It is critical that taxpayers talk to professionals who are versed in these changes to ensure that they have access to the deductions and credits moving forward. [/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]" target="_blank">How the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 Changed and Modified 179D and 45L

Written by Dave McGuire, Shareholder, McGuire Sponsel The Energy Policy Act of 2005 established certain incentives for building energy efficient buildings. These included the [...]

By |2023-02-28T08:02:48-05:00February 22nd, 2023|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC|

Alexander Bagne, CPA, JD, MBA, CCSP is the President of ICS Tax, LLC, and an expert in tax planning strategies for real estate investors, architecture and engineering firms, and others within the construction industry. He is a strong proponent of energy efficient construction and has served as the President of the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals (ASCSP). This article was re-published from ICS-tax.com ‘The Inflation Reduction Act Significantly Changes the 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction’" target="_blank">Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction

The Section 179D Energy Efficient Commercial Building Deduction provides a deduction of up to $1.88 per square foot for both building owners who construct new [...]

By |2023-02-22T16:10:47-05:00September 19th, 2022|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, H.R. 5376, signed by President Biden on August 16, 2022, extended the 45L credit for homes sold or leased during 2022 with little modification. Thus, residences sold or leased in 2022 would qualify for the 45L credit using the 2021 energy efficiency standards. However, from January 1, 2023 through December 31, 2032, the Act significantly changes the 45L Energy Efficient Home Credit with new provisions and requirements. Beginning in 2023, the Act provides an increased 45L tax credit of $2,500 for single family and manufactured homes when constructed according to the standards set by the ENERGY STAR Residential New Construction Program or the Manufactured Homes Program.
  • Single-family homes must meet the ENERGY STAR Single Family New Homes Program, Version 3.1 for homes constructed before January 1, 2025 and Version 3.2 thereafter.
  • Manufactured homes must meet the latest ENERGY STAR Manufactured Home National Program requirements as in effect on the latter of January 1, 2023 or January 1 of two calendar years prior to the date the dwelling is acquired.
The Act also provides an even higher 45L tax credit of $5,000 for single family and manufactured homes when they are certified as a DOE Zero Energy Ready Home (ZERH). For multifamily homes constructed after 2022, the Act provides a 45L tax credit of $500 when meeting the ENERGY STAR Single Family New Homes Program or $1,000 when meeting the DOE Zero Energy Ready Home requirements. If prevailing wage requirements are also satisfied, the credit for multifamily homes increases to $2,500 or $5,000, respectively. The table below summarizes the 45L Credit rules beginning in 2023.
Home TypeQualification RequirementPrevailing Wage RequirementCredit Amount
Single Family*EnergyStarNo$2,500
Single Family*ZERHNo$5,000
Manufactured HomeEnergyStarNo$2,500
Manufactured HomeZERHNo$5,000
MultifamilyEnergyStarNo$500
MultifamilyZERHNo$1,000
MultifamilyEnergyStarYes$2,500
MultifamilyZERHYes$5,000
*Single Family includes site-built and modular single family homes, duplexes and townhomes.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 has certainly raised the standards for energy efficient home construction with a persuasive tax credit for the next ten years.
This article was re-published from ICS-tax.com ‘The Inflation Reduction Act: Impact on §45L Tax Credit’

About the Author:

Alexander Bagne, CPA, JD, MBA, CCSP is the President of ICS Tax, LLC and an expert in tax planning strategies for real estate investors and developers. He is a proponent of energy efficient construction and has served as the President of the American Society of Cost Segregation Professionals (ASCSP).
" target="_blank">The Inflation Reduction Act: Impact on §45L Tax Credit

Internal Revenue Code Section 45L provides both single and multifamily homebuilders with a $2,000 tax credit for meeting certain energy saving requirements. However, the 45L [...]

By |2023-02-22T16:10:56-05:00August 19th, 2022|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

construction accounting that will help increase job profitability, manage cash flow, and successfully grow your business.

#1 USE JOB COSTING

At the end of each day, a contractor needs to use job costing to allocate the cost of equipment, tools, and other assets used on a job (e.g., the cost of owning, operating, and maintaining that asset) to keep score of their jobs and business overall. Any easy way to do this is through a robust construction accounting software solution, such as Deltek + ComputerEase.

#2 TRACK COMMITTED COSTS DAILY

Costs already committed for subcontractors and materials should be tracked in real-time to maintain control over a job and keep it profitable. You will know, with certainty, the budget you have available for future expenses and/or additional costs. Some examples of committed costs include an open subcontractor agreement, purchase orders, time from the field, and expenses from the field.

#3 UNDERSTAND THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN MARGIN AND MARKUP

Markup is the difference between the cost of materials or services and the price charged. Margin is the gross profit on a job and is a percentage of the sales price. Mistaking the two terms may cause you to set a price too high or too low, which can result in losing profits and potentially, business.

#4 DISTINGUISH BETWEEN PERCENTAGE SPENT AND PERCENTAGE OF COMPLETION

If you’ve spent half your budget that does not necessarily mean you have done half the work. You may have done only 40% of the work, or maybe 60% of the work. Understanding and tracking percentage spent and percentage of completion through your WIP reports allows you to come in under budget.

#5 RUN FREQUENT WORK IN PROGRESS (WIP) REPORTS

WIP reports are one of the most important reports for a contractor because they provide a detailed schedule on completed work and in-progress work for a certain period of time. With frequent WIP reports, you can manage work and profit proactively using actual job data as opposed to being reactive to problems that arise. This helps you stay ahead of the game and grow your bottom-line profits. The commonly used WIP methods include units complete, percent complete, and cost-to-finish. WIP reports also identify underbilling and overbilling amounts. The accounting staff must enter these amounts on the P&L Statement and Balance Sheet to get an accurate financial picture.

#6 IDENTIFY OVERBILLINGS VS PROFIT

Overbilling occurs when a contractor bills ahead of work completed. If managed properly, overbilling can positively affect cash flow. If unmanaged, it can be problematic because contractors will not have the available cash to fund the remaining work. For example, if you overbill by $10,000, that is not a cash profit that you can spend. That amount should be recognized as payment for work that has not yet been completed.

#7 MANAGE YOUR CHANGE ORDERS SUCCESSFULLY

Change orders are a product of changing the scope of the initial contract. To successfully manage your change orders, it is important to provide contracts that are detailed and easy-to-understand, introduce the change order process in the initial contract (and negotiate pricing and markups for change orders), and establish the structured process for change requests, both with the client and your internal team. Since change orders occur so often in the construction industry, creating change order templates for customers and exploring construction accounting software tools will save you time, rather than manually creating change orders at the time they are needed.

#8 MONITOR UNPOSTED PAYROLL

Standard accounting software lacks the ability to track unposted construction payroll. However, monitoring these costs in real-time with a project management software allows you to manage costs proactively by seeing the effect of employee hours on the budget without actually processing payroll.

#9 TRACK LABOR HOURS EACH DAY

You want workers to turn in their time at the end of each day, not the next day, not a week later. Tracking things as they happen with remote field-to-office tools, like the Deltek + ComputerEase mobile app, makes them more accurate and you don’t have to return to the office to do this.

#10 CHOOSE THE RIGHT CONSTRUCTION ACCOUNTANT

The unique accounting requirements a contractor is faced with almost always call for a CPA that specializes in construction. Choosing the right Certified Public Accountant (CPA) is a critical step to building out your trusted advisor team and can be a major contribution to business growth. Locate a CICPAC member firm near you." target="_blank">10 Key Construction Accounting Best Practices for Contractors

Construction accounting is complex and mistakes are inevitable. That’s because construction accounting, compared to regular accounting, has unique requirements, processes, documents, and procedures, such as [...]

By |2023-03-28T16:40:33-05:00August 15th, 2022|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

prevailing wage is typically based on the wages paid to workers on similar projects in the area. The act was intended to avoid situations where contractors would low-ball their proposed costs on a project at the expense of their workers’ wages. There are several states that have their own prevailing wage laws, known as “little Davis-Bacon” acts, for any state-funded construction projects and do, in some cases, extend to projects at the local and municipalities level as well.

So prevailing wage is basically a worker’s hourly wage?

Yes and no. Prevailing wage comprises two parts: The first is the basic hourly rate paid to each worker. The second is what is known as the “fringe benefits” amount. Fringe benefits include a separate per-hour dollar amount paid out as part of a worker’s wages or used to fund a “bona fide” benefits plan, such as a 401(k), life and health insurance, vacation, and holiday pay, or even apprenticeship training programs. Simply put, if a worker’s base pay on a project was $30 an hour and the fringe benefits amount was $10 an hour, the contractor can pay out the $10 in fringe benefits as wages, essentially increasing the worker’s hourly pay to $40, or they can elect to put that $10 into a benefits plan for their employee.

So, which is better — cash or a bona fide benefits plan?

Many contractors pay out the mandatory fringe benefit as wages because it’s the easiest way to comply with the law. While that may be true, it’s also much more costly to the contractor. And the reason is pretty simple: all wages paid to employees are subject to payroll taxes, such as social security taxes, federal and state unemployment taxes, workers’ compensation insurance, and general liability insurance. The rate varies, but it is estimated that the additional cost to the contractor for these payroll taxes is roughly 25 cents for every dollar paid in wages. On the other hand, if a contractor uses those fringe dollars to fund a “bona fide” benefits plan for their employees, that money would be exempt from all payroll taxes. Thus saving the contractor tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, of dollars a year. Don’t believe me? Here’s an example: Let’s say Contractor A has 25 employees working on a prevailing wage job that will last six months. Each employee works approximately 500 hours during this time, and the fringe amount is roughly $10 an hour. 25 (employees) x 500 hours = 12,500 hours 12,500 (hours) x $10 fringe benefit dollars = $125,000 fringe benefit dollars If Contractor A decides to pay out that $125,000 fringe benefit as wages to their employees, they will be hit with a 25% payroll tax on every single one of those dollars. $125,000 x 25% in payroll taxes = $31,250 in additional payroll taxes If Contractor A elects to put those fringe benefit dollars into a “bona fide” benefits plan for her employees, such as a 401(k) retirement account, not a single dollar would be subject to payroll taxes. That means $31,250 in savings, which can be used later to make more competitive bids for future projects. Using these fringe dollars properly also allows a contractor to implement or improve their existing benefit programs in a few ways:
  1. For those employers who offer a 401(k), paying the fringes as cash means funding the benefits in duplicity, as these payments are paid out of the operational account of the business. Using these fringe dollars to an employer and employee’s advantage can reduce that extra expense considerably.
  2. In today’s tight labor market, employees look at total compensation packages, including benefits like a 401(k). These fringe dollars can assist companies with bolstering their current programs by offering better benefit coverages or adding additional benefit options for their employees.
  3. Employers can improve their 401(k) plan by using fringe dollars to offset or meet matching requirements they may choose to include. This includes discretionary employer match, safe harbor, or profit-sharing contributions to the plan. Contractors often hesitate to include matching contributions to their retirement plan due to the costs. Utilizing the prevailing wage dollars to meet a portion of these contributions allows you to offer more retirement benefits to all your employees at a reduced cost to the company.
Required annual compliance testing for all 401(k) plans can be extremely complicated and are put into place to ensure that all participants benefit equally from the plan. When working with a plan administrator specializing in designing retirement plans for prevailing wage contractors, you can be confident that you are staying compliant and offering the best solution for all your employees and the company owners. In the end, when utilized correctly, prevailing wage — comprised of a per-hour cash wage and a per-hour benefits wage – is a significant benefit to both the laborers and contractors working on publicly-funded construction projects. Prevailing wage benefits isn’t easy business. For over 35 years, Beneco has focused exclusively on serving the unique needs of contractors through retirement plans, health care benefits, compliance services, and HR solutions and has a level of expertise in prevailing wage that few can offer.  " target="_blank">Maximize Prevailing Wage Dollars with an Employer Sponsored 401(k) Plan

Prevailing wage was established under federal law by the Davis-Bacon Act of 1931. The act mandates that contractors and subcontractors pay their workers an hourly [...]

By |2023-05-02T10:45:58-05:00July 18th, 2022|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction|

Harness Software (a Foundation Software Company) on Apr 01, 2021 Forget the horse and water; the saying should read: “You can lead a construction worker through a safety program, but you cannot make them follow it.” The goal of any safety program is to reduce incidents, but in order to achieve that, the employees must actually follow the program. This is a challenge for many construction companies. Safety risks and the incidents that follow take place on construction sites for one of three possible reasons: 1. They Don’t Know Employees who simply don’t know all the safety information are more timid around the tools and equipment and are more likely to make a mistake due to lack of training. This is especially true of new hires. 2. They Don’t Care More experienced employees who have been on the job for a while, who have yet to experience an incident, can become overconfident and feel invincible, often leading to very risky behavior on their part. 3. There’s a More Efficient Way The most experienced workers on site have likely gone through an incident or accident themselves and are less likely to take major risks but have also developed more efficient / less safe habits over the years, potentially leading to an incident. > Continue Reading   Sue Drummond knows that learning new technology can be intimidating and overwhelming sometimes. That's exactly why her role at Harness Software is to teach, guide and customize the fear away. Together with our clients, she sets project priorities, exchanges resources and shares best practices, all in an effort to achieve happier and healthier employees and safer job sites.   About Foundation SoftwareFoundation Software delivers job cost accounting, project management, estimating & takeoff, and safety software, along with payroll services, to help contractors run the business side of construction. For more information, call (800) 246-0800 or email info@foundationsoft.com." target="_blank">3 Safety Program Styles Compared: Incentive vs Behavior vs Discipline

Last Updated by Sue Drummond, Harness Software (a Foundation Software Company) on Apr 01, 2021 Forget the horse and water; the saying should read: “You [...]

By |2022-07-18T14:36:01-05:00June 20th, 2022|AM Whitepaper, CICPAC, Construction, Exclude Post, Member News|
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